Filling The Void
by bluedragon03
Summary: Kanna mysteriously wakes up six months after Kagome returns to the Feudal Era after 3 years. Confused about how she is alive, she decides to seek out the only person who might be kind enough to help her, Kagome. What answers await her, and are the other incarnations still alive? Is Kanna's beloved big sister Kagura alive as well? Will they be reunited? M to be safe, please R&R!
1. I Shouldn't Be Alive

***A/N- Hey guys! I would like to thank you for clicking on my story! Right now as I'm writing this note, I don't know what my story will be called, but I do know it will be a boss title when I come up with one! This story takes place after the end of the Final Act, but with a few minor adjustments. Some I will explain in a A/N ** **some I will explain in context. Of course, if you read the characters in this story when you looked at it that one such adjustment is that Kagura and Kanna are still alive. (If the one's I don't explain confuse you please let me know and I will clarify, so don't hesitate to ask!) I loved both Kagura and Kanna so much, I cried when they died. Also there aren't very many Kanna Kagome stories out there and the good ones have all been abandoned by the writers. I can't guarantee that I won't forget about this story, because come August my life will be pretty busy, but I'll do my best. I have another story on another site, and I'm not going to lie, it take priority, but my beta for that site has become busy, so I'll just have to wait on her. (If you're wondering, the story is "Hysteria" and my penname there is bluedragon3 so go ahead and check it out. The website is and there is a link on my profile.) I realize I must be boring you with such a long A/N but I have a lot to say, and kudos to you if you read it all the way through! Enjoy!**

***Don't own it, if I did, Kanna and Kagura would still be alive! But for this story they are! YAY!**

She opened her black eyes and groaned, blinking slowly in an attempt to bring into focus the blurry world around her. _But how can this be? _She thought, _I died. I died in that explosion. Is this the afterlife? __No that doesn't make sense, I don't have a soul. Or at least, that's what Naraku always said. _The little girl struggled to sit up, her body ached all over, she had never felt pain like this before. She lifted herself up on her arms, and was struck with another realization. _My arms! I don't understand. I lost my arm and other hand in the battle. _She stared down at her pale hands in wonder. Then she had yet another realization. _I can see, but one of my eyes was damaged in the fight, how can I see? _She stared at her hands for a long time before snapping out of her reverie and scanning the forest around her. There, on the ground next to her lay a small, round mirror.

_How is this possible? How can my mirror be whole? It should have been destroyed when the mirror demon was destroyed. _She pondered over this for a while before getting to her feet and walking into the forest. There was but one thought in her mind, one person who she could think of that might be able to answer her questions, and who maybe would be kind enough to help her. _That girl who travels with the half demon, Inuyasha._

_ Kagome. _

***A/N- Okay, I know that this is annoying, and I'm sorry, but for right now in this story, Kagome and Inuyasha aren't married yet, they are just like, dating I guess, because 1- I don't even know how to write them as a married couple, when I figure it out I might throw in a wedding chappie, and 2- some of the scenes I have in mind don't really make sense if they are a married couple. Sorry! Also Sango and Miroku are married, (because I just love the idea, but they don't have kids yet!)**

"Don't you boy's even think on spying on us! I don't care if you married Sango, Miroku, you didn't marry me!" Kagome shouted over her shoulder as she began undressing. Sango giggled and pulled off her kimono.

"You know, Kagome, I really missed soaking in the hot springs with you while you were gone, not that bathing with Miroku _wasn't _fun," she said ginning, "but I did miss it being just us girls." She said, stepping gently into the water and sighing contentedly.

"Tell me about it!" Kagome said, "I love my friends back home, but they just don't understand some things. Even after three years they could tell that I still loved him,_(Back at camp Inuyasha stops mid sentence, and his ears twitch cutely, because he can hear what the girls are saying)_ and they would try and set me up with other guys, but it never worked." Kagome surprised herself at how easily the words, "I loved him," flowed from her mouth, she had never admitted it directly to Sango, although Sango undoubtedly knew already. Sango looked at her sadly.

"I can't even imagine how hard it was on you, being away from him for so long. I think it nearly killed Inuyasha, he was so depressed, even after all that time, he would still do things like crouch down for you to climb on his back when we were going places. It was like you had only left the day before," Sango said, looking through the trees at the campfire.

"Did he really? That's so sweet and sad at the same time," she said. She followed Sango's gaze and looked in the direction of the camp as well. _I had no idea._

"I had no idea. I knew I must've been hard on him too, but he refuses to talk about it, whenever I bring it up he just changes the subject. I asked him why once and he just said, 'Because you're back know, and that's all that matters.' But he's not the only one who would do things like that. Sometimes I'd wake up late Saturday morning, and jump up and run around in a panic, packing things in my yellow bag to come here, thinking, 'Crap, I'm late! Inuyasha is going to kill me!' But then I'd stop halfway through and remember what happened." Kagome said, smiling sadly.

Sango looked at her piteously. She had missed her best friend terribly while she had been away, but at least she'd had Miroku. Inuyasha had had no one. _I mean, _she thought, _Of course he had us, but he didn't have _her. Her and Miroku had always tried to get him to open up to them, but of course he never would. He would just stare off into space a lot or sit in the branches of the Sacred Tree. Sango had always thought he was hoping he would be able to communicate across time with her like the time they did when Hyoga tried to kill, well everything ***(Movie 1) **. Kagome told Sango about it later, and Sango had been astounded by the connection that they shared, that literally spanned across centuries. Over time Inuyasha got better, sometimes even almost seeming his normal self, almost.

"I'm just glad you're back now, and speaking of, how are you and Inuyasha doing?" Sango asked, raising her eyebrows playfully at Kagome. Kagome blushed, then smiled.

"Well he hasn't exactly told me how he feels yet, but he hasn't exactly been trying to hide it either. I think he doesn't know how to say it, and he just expects me to know. He's kissed me a few times in the six months I've been back, and he also insists on sleeping with me every night. ***(Get your minds out of the gutter!) ** I had never seen him sleeping laying down before, he always leaned against a tree or a wall and held Tessaiga. But that night he just crawled into bed next to me, put his arm around my waist and was like, 'Is this okay?' At first I was going to say no, but something in his eyes just looked so sad, and I could tell he needed it. I haven't slept alone since."

"Awww! That's so cute! I had been meaning to ask you about that, I noticed you two were together last night, and I was going to ask, but I thought it would be better to ask you in private, I didn't want to make Inuyasha upset," Sango said.

"He probably would have been, but I doubt he'd stop anyway." She told Sango, then she said, as is just remembering, "You know sometimes he talks in his sleep too, which is something else that changed while I was gone," Kagome said, giggling a little.

"Really? What about?" Sango asks, leaning forward, her interest piqued.

"Mostly me, sometimes you, Miroku, Shippo, and even Kaede. Occasionally Kikyo," Kagome said. Sango's expression softens, but Kagome doesn't feel the prickle of jealousy that she used to when Kikyo was mentioned. She was a part of Inuyasha's past, but she was the past.

"Wow, I can't believe it, he always used to be such a light sleeper, and he would sit completely motionless" Sango said, touching a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"I know, he still keeps Tessaiga close at hand though," Kagome said, remembering how, more than once, she had woken up sore because she rolled onto Tessaiga in the middle of the night and felt it in the morning.

"I'll bet he talks in his sleep because he sleeps more deeply now," Sango said, "because he feels more at ease with you around." Kagome laughed.

"Probably, though I must admit, I sleep better now as well. I guess I just feel safer," Kagome admitted, blushing slightly again. Sango nodded knowingly.

"I know what you mean, I can never get much sleep when Miroku is away exorsising demons," Sango said.

"Oh that reminds me! How's married life Sango! I was so sad to have missed the wedding!" Kagome said remorsefully.

"It's wonderful, Miroku has almost stopped womanizing entirely, although sometimes I still catch him giving out fortunes to pretty young women," she said, but she was smiling, so Kagome knew she wasn't jealous. "We left the place of honor open for you Kagome, you're my best friend and it didn't feel right putting someone else there," Sango said.

"I'm honored, Sango, it means a lot," Kagome said, wiping her eyes.

~~~~Back at camp with the boys!~~~~

"So Inuyasha, I couldn't help but notice that you and Kagome sleeping together last night, could it be that you two are _together_ now?" Asked the Monk, saying the word together as if implying something more than the usual context of the word. ***His mind **_**was **_**in the gutter, as always. **Inuyasha's cheeks colored lightly, and he scoffed, not meeting Miroku's eyes.

"Keh, Would you get your mind out of the gutter, Monk?!" He scoffed again, then sighed, "It's not- It's not like that, I just…" his voice trailed away. Being as simple minded as he was, he didn't know how to put those complicated feelings into words. Miroku nodded wisely.

"I understand, Inuyasha, Kagome was gone for a very long time. It's natural that you'd want to be around her as much as possible after that," Miroku said understandingly.

"Yah, s-something like that," Inuyasha said, still not looking at him. "So how are you and Sango? Married life treating you well?" He asked, mostly to get the subject off of himself and Kagome.

"It's great, I have become the happiest man alive over the course of my marriage to Sango, but don't think that you can change the subject so easily, Inuyasha, I want to hear more about you and Kagome," Miroku said mischievously. _Blasted, _Inuyasha thought, _He figured it out. _

"Well what do you want to.." Inuyasha's voice trailed away, and his ears twitched rather cutely.

"What's the-" The monk asked worriedly, reaching for his staff.

"Shhh!" Inuyasha held out a finger to silence the monk and listened intently, and Kagome's voice drifted through the trees to his ears.

"Even after three years they could tell that I still loved him, and they would try and set me up with other guys, but it never worked," she said, her voice sounding sad. Inuyasha's ears perked up adorably again, and Miroku tried asking Inuyasha again.

"What's the matter, is it a demon?" Miroku asked quietly.

"No it's the girls, their talking about me," Inuyasha said, looking in their direction.

"Naturally, as we are talking about them!" Miroku said, and then, "Wait you can hear them all the way over here?" Miroku asked, incredulous. Inuyasha's abilities never ceased to amaze him.

"Well yah, if I concentrate," Inuyasha stated.

"Well what did they say?" Miroku asked.

"Well Kagome said that- that she loved me, and her friends in her time kept trying to set her up with other guys, but it never worked out," Inuyasha said absently, still thinking about the first part of the sentence. _She loves me, well I guess I'm not really surprised, but I've never heard her say it out loud before. _

"So the question is, Inuyasha, do you love her? Or are your feelings not that strong yet?" Miroku asked, while thinking, _the real question is have you realized that your feelings are that strong yet?_

"Yes, of course I do," Inuyasha said. He had realized that when he was searching for her inside the Sacred Jewel.

"Oh good, so you realized, you're not as dumb as you look Inuyasha!" Miroku said, relieved.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha said indignantly.

"Well I knew, of course that you were in love with her, it was obvious to everyone except for you two, and sometimes to everyone but you," Miroku said, "It was not a matter of 'if' but 'if you knew' for most of the time we were looking for the Shikon Jewel shards. Even Kagome knew after a while, that's why she kept coming back after you got into those big arguments, she knew you didn't really mean it, or that you were just jealous."

Inuyasha's cheeks flamed at this bit of information. So everyone, including Kagome, had known about how he felt about Kagome even before he did? Looking back it seemed obvious even to him that he loved her, but still, it was embarrassing! _I guess it never really was a secret, after all. _Inuyasha thought. _And I thought I had kept it hidden pretty well. _

"So have you admitted how you feel to her yet?" Miroku asked.

"I thought you said it was obvious," Inuyasha said dryly.

"Well yes, it was," Miroku said, and Inuyasha's brow twitched in irritation, "but that's not the same as you telling her how you feel."

"Keh, what do you know, Monk, but out!" Inuyasha snapped. Miroku raised his hands up in a sign of surrender. They talked about menial things until the girls came back from their bath.

"Ah ladies! I trust you had a relaxing bath?" Miroku said as Sango sat down next to him.

"Yes, it was wonderful! The hot spring is all yours now boys!" Kagome said as she sat down next to Inuyasha. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he put his arm around her waist pulling her closer. Kagome was mildly surprised, but she didn't show it, she just snuggled up to him and closed her eyes.

"Yes well, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go take a bath," Miroku said standing. Inuyasha kissed the top of Kagome's head before standing up and following Miroku to the hot spring.

"See what I mean?" Kagome said once the boys had left the clearing.

"Yah, I do, but at least he's not acting like a child like he was before you left," Sango said.

"Yah, I kn-" but Kagome stopped midsentence, the bushes on the other side of the fire had rustled suspiciously. Kagome slowly reached for her bow and arrow, and when she had them in hand she whipped out an arrow and aimed it at the bushes. Sango was on her feet with Hiraikotsu in hand.

"Come out or I'll shoot! I know you're there," Kagome said, loudly. _I can't sense a demonic aura, is it a human? _The bushes rustle again and a figure steps out of the bushes and into the clearing, however, it remains in the shadows, so all Kagome could see was an outline. An outline that was eerily familiar, but Kagome couldn't quite place where she knew it from. The figure was quite small, that of a child, and it was holding something that reflected the firelight, _a mirror. No, it can't be, _thought Kagome, the tip of her arrow falling a little bit in shock. _A child with a mirror, it can't be, can it? Kanna. _

***A/N- Okay, I wasn't sure if I wanted to end the chapter here or not, but I decided to uphold my reputation that I acquired last time for ending every chapter in a cliff hanger, yet never making it redundant. I thought that this was an awesome cliff hanger. Will Kagome shoot? Will the boys come stumbling half-dressed into the clearing with their weapons at the ready because they heard Kagome shout? (Spoiler alert, **_**yes.**_**) Also I don't even know how this became a fluff chapter about Inuyasha and Kagome, so don't ask. I had planned on making it about Kagome and Kanna, but then I just started writing, and I always try to go wherever the story takes me, and I feel like if I try to force it to go in another direction then it will be bad. The hot springs scene just felt right, I guess. As I was writing I knew that I had to set up a background plot for when the main plot slowed down a little, their needed to be something **_**else**_** besides pure Kanna and Kagome. Also the thing with Inuyasha and Kagome just felt right, like I could see that happening. I will try to make the next chapters less fluffy, and I will try to post soon, but I can't make any promises, I have to go in the direction the story takes me. **


	2. Linked

***A/N- Hey guys! I just wanted to thank you for clicking on my story, "Filling the Void," (I told you the title would be boss didn't I?) I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and I also hope you will enjoy the second chapter. Like always I would love it if you would R&R so I can know what you guys want to see more of! I can't make my writing better unless you review! Don't make me have to impose a review tax! (Lol, so many reviews or I won't update again,) because if that happens I'll probably get bored waiting on the review and delete the story. (If you read my profile then you know that I'll do it!) Anyway, it's time to get on with the story!**

***I do not own Inuyasha!**

_No, it can't be, _thought Kagome, the tip of her arrow falling a little bit in shock. _A child with a mirror, it can't be, can it? Kanna. _

The child stepped forward into the light, her white kimono and pale skin seeming to glow in the firelight. Her steps were completely silent, she could have snuck up on even Inuyasha. _Now it makes sense, _Kagome thought, _Kanna doesn't have a demonic aura or a scent, so we would have no way of knowing she was near unless we saw her._

"What is it? What happened?" Shouted Inuyasha as he ran into the clearing, neither of his shirts anywhere to be seen, with one hand holding onto the sheath of Tessaiga, the other holding up his pants. Kagome would have laughed at the sight of him if there wasn't an enemy right in front of her.

At the sight of Kanna the hand he was using to hold up his trousers went directly to the hilt of his sword and drew it out of it's sheath. With nothing left to hold them up, Inuyasha's pants fell down onto the ground, leaving him completely naked. Kagome screamed and cried, "Sit Boy!" out of instinct. With a yelp of shock Inuyasha plummeted face first into the ground, then lay motionless. Miroku came running right after that, he had, thankfully, taken the time to put on some clothes before running to the girls aid. After all, Sango and Kagome were strong, they could take care of themselves, and he didn't want to be beaten over the head with a rock again. He stepped over Inuyasha and shook his head.

"Will you ever learn, Inuyasha?" Miroku said, before turning to the scene in front of him.

"Kanna?" Asked Kagome, "Is that really you?" The priestess in training still held her bow at the ready, but the tip of her arrow was pointing at the ground.

"Yes," Kanna replied in her quiet manner, "It is me." She looked around the clearing at the ones who used to be her enemies. The demon slayer was in her battle stance with Hiraikotsu at the ready, but Kagome's arrow was no longer aimed at her, which meant she wasn't perceived as a threat by this one, right? The two tail cat was transformed into her larger size, the kitsune on it's back. She looked over at the men of the group, the monk had his staff in a defensive position, and the half-demon had managed to pull himself out of his crater and was grumbling loudly while pulling on his pants.

"Kanna, how is this possible? You died when we killed that mirror demon, and even if you hadn't you were terribly injured! People don't just re-grow entire limbs!" Kagome shouted.

"Um Kagome? I hate to interrupt, but didn't Sesshomaru do exactly that?" Shippo pointed out. _Okay so maybe they do, _thought Kagome.

"I don't know what happened," stated Kanna. "I woke up, whole again."

"How long ago did this happen, Kanna?" Miroku asked her.

"A few days ago," Kanna replied.

"If you are alive, does that mean that Naraku and all of his other incarnations are alive as well?" Miroku asked. Kanna merely shook her head, Naraku was still dead, she was sure of that, but could it be her elder sister was out there somewhere? If she was, was she looking for her?

"How can you be sure?" He pressed.

"Naraku is dead," Kanna said simply. _Kagura,_ she thought, _are you alive? Are living free, like the wind? _ Kanna thought, with something akin to sadness.

"What do you want, Kanna?" Kagome asked gently. She had tried to convince Kanna to join them before, and Kagome had been heartbroken when she died, and yet, here she stood alive. Kagome intended to help her all she could, she would even convince the others to take her in, if that's what Kanna wanted.

"Kagura," said Kanna, surprising even herself. She had intended to ask Kagome for help, shelter, _something. _But she realized when she said it, that Kagura was what she wanted most in the world. She wanted her sister back. Kagome's bow lowered even more, to the point the arrow was pointing at the ground at Kagome's feet.

"You must miss her," Kagome said, taking a step forward, wanting to comfort the child before her, but not knowing how to do it.

"Don't take another step Kagome, this could be a trap!" Exclaimed Inuyasha. He was clothed once more, and he stood pointing the Tessaiga at Kanna.

"It's not," Kagome said simply. She had purified the Shikon No Tama, and Naraku along with it, her Master was dead. Kanna had no motivation to trick them. Kagome walked forward slowly, trying not to scare the girl. Gently, she laid her bow and arrow on the ground and raised her hands on either side of her head. "I'm not going to hurt you Kanna," she said.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, "Stay away from her!" He raised his sword above his head to attack, but before he could move another inch, Kanna vanished back into the shadows.

"You scared her away!" Kagome shouted at Inuyasha.

"You should be thanking me! I just saved your life!" Inuyasha yelled back. How could she be so blind? Kagome was too trusting for her own good! Kanna was clearly there to avenge Naraku! If Inuyasha hadn't intervened, then Kanna would have killed Kagome, and yet here she was, yelling at him like _he_ was the bad guy!

"That's bull crap!" Shouted Kagome, "Kanna wouldn't have hurt me, she had no reason to! Naraku is dead, you know that! Why would she continue to serve a Master who was no longer alive?"

"Maybe she wanted revenge for us killing her last time!" Inuyasha shouted back.

"If that's what she wanted she could have taken my soul long before you arrived here, but she didn't! It would have been no problem for her to deflect our weapons with her mirror! If she wanted one of us dead, then we would be laying face down right now!" Kagome said angrily.

"What if she wanted to play with your emotions first, she is a part of Naraku after all! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" Inuyasha shouted, and Kagome knew he was remembering how Naraku had tricked them once before with Kohaku, making them think that Kohaku had escaped from him, when really Naraku was trying to kill Kagome.

"_Oh,"_ Kagome said sarcastically, "Because Kanna of the _VOID _is definitely capable of such malice that she would feel the need to play with us before killing us!" Kagome pointed out.

"You're too trusting!" Shouted Inuyasha.

"You're too paranoid!" Kagome shouted back. Suddenly she "humphed" and walked away from him, heading into the forest.

"Where do you think you're going?" Asked Inuyasha, glaring at her retreating back.

Kagome spun around so fast that her short skirt whipped around like a flag in the wind. She was wearing some clothes she had made to be like the clothes she wore when she was in her time. She said that she disliked wearing the priestess attire everywhere she went, and that wearing clothes from her time helped with her homesickness.

"I'm going to do damage control and try to find Kanna!" She snapped. Kagome whipped around and stomped into the forest without saying another word. She was so angry she forgot to retrieve her bow and arrows from their place on the ground. Inuyasha scoffed and sat down facing away from Kagome, with his nose held high in the air. Whatever, if she wanted to get herself killed then that was fine by him! Except that it wasn't, but he wasn't about to go after her, he didn't want to get 'sat' again.

"Inuyasha you have to go after her!" whined Shippo. He jumped up onto Inuyasha's shoulder and tugged on his hair.

"Butt out Shippo! If she wants to get herself killed trying to help that girl then that's fine by me!"

"But Inuyasha," cried Shippo, "She was so mad at you that she forgot her bow! She's completely defenseless!"

Inuyasha's ears twitched when he heard this. He turned to look at where she had laid them, and saw that Shippo was right. He stood so suddenly that Shippo fell off of his shoulder, picked up Kagome's weapon, and walked wordlessly out of the clearing after her. He followed her scent, and, as he got closer, the sound of her angry muttering.

"That Inuyasha, what is he thinking? Kanna just wanted us to help her out, I'm sure of it. She looked so sincere, plus she would have no reason to want to attack us! She's someone in need of help, and if Inuyasha thinks I can just ignore someone who needs me, then he's wrong. I'll help her all by myself if I have to!" Inuyasha listened briefly to her soliloquy before calling out to her.

"Kagome, you forgot these at camp," he said softly, but she jumped so violently she hit her head on a branch, stunning herself. She fell flat on her butt, and Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh a little.

"What's so funny? You scared me half to death!" She said, glaring up at him from her spot on the ground. She rubbed the bump on her head where she had hit the branch, trying to will the pain away.

"I'll be sure not to do it again then," Inuyasha said smiling. Kagome stared up at him, shocked. Had Inuyasha just made a _joke_? He _had,_ Kagome giggled a little, but then she remembered she was supposed to be mad. Inuyasha held a clawed hand out to her, she took it, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Anyway, why did you follow me? I thought that you still didn't trust Kanna," Kagome said, rubbing her sore head.

"You forgot these," Inuyasha said, holding out her bow and arrows. She took them and slung them over her shoulder.

"Thanks, I guess I forgot them because I was so mad at you," Kagome said. The patchy moonlight partially obscured his face, but his amber eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. Kagome had always loved those eyes, they were so beautiful and, right now, they seemed to be looking through her, into her soul.

"Do you really trust Kanna?" He asked finally.

"Yes, well, not completely, but I'm going to give her a chance, remember even if she does turn on me, her mirror can't send my sacred arrows back at me," Kagome said, stroking her bow absent mindedly. Inuyasha nodded in acknowledgement of this.

"I'm sorry Kagome, but I just can't trust her. Something about her story just doesn't add up, something's wrong in this picture, and I can't figure out what it is," Inuyasha said, looking around in the forest as if Kanna might be watching them right now.

"Well don't try too hard or you'll hurt yourself," Kagome teased. Inuyasha growled, aggravated, but Kagome just laughed. "Like what then?" She asked.

"She said she just woke up a few days ago, right? Why, after all this time? It's been over three years since Naraku died. Why does she come back now of all times? And why did she come to see us of all people?" Inuyasha asked her.

"I know, I don't understand why now either, but I think I understand why she came to us," Kagome ventured. Inuyasha looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to state her case. "Well just think about it," Kagome told him, "we're the only people alive that she knows! Naraku is dead, and so is Kagura, we are the only people in the world with familiar faces to her. But that's not all of it either, before she died, we tried to save her, we told her she didn't have to die, that she could be a part of our group. We were probably the only people to show her kindness, and for me at least, the offer still stands. If Kanna wants to join us, then it's fine with me."

Inuyasha looked down at her, and finally understood why she trusted Kanna. When he heard it put that way, he almost trusted her too. His insides warmed as Kagome looked up at him defiantly. She was so kind, and Inuyasha knew that if anybody could help Kanna, it was the woman standing right in front of him. She intended to save Kanna just as she had saved him and the others. She had saved them from them from their pain and helped them smile again, she helped them realize that they could still be happy, in spite of their dark pasts.

He supposed he shouldn't be so surprised she trusted Kanna immediately, after all, she had trusted him enough to unseal him from the tree of ages, and even after he had tried to kill her and take the Sacred Jewel, she was still kind to him. He could remember feeling awed by the implicit trust she had in him, always knowing that he would save her.

Inuyasha smiled down at her and said, "I love you, you know that right?"

"Yah," She replied, "I know." she grinned up at him for a second before saying, "I love you too." Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She responded by snaking her arms around his neck, and standing on her tippy toes ***(Yah, I said it, tippy toes! Deal with it!) **so she could reach him better. They stayed that way for a long time before finally breaking apart. ***(I'm sorry if you wanted that be more romantic or whatever, but I'm not going to do, well, I guess you could call it limes, even though they are only kissing. I can barely stand doing fluff, seriously, I hate it. Just feel lucky I included this scene.)**

"Come on," Inuyasha said, "There's no point looking for her at night, we'll never find her in this forest. We'll set out first thing in the morning." Inuyasha grabbed her hand and began tugging her back to camp.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said happily.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Thank you," she said.

"Yah whatever, I'm only doing it because I know that you'd whine about it for the rest of our lives," Inuyasha said, but Kagome knew she had convinced him, and he was at least a little worried about Kanna too.

The others looked mildly shocked when they walked back into the clearing hand in hand, obviously having made up.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you back so soon, you guys," said Sango. "I thought for sure you'd end up fighting again, and be away for another few hours."

"Yah, well Inuyasha pointed out that I wouldn't be able to find her in the dark anyway," Kagome told her, "So I'll get a good night's sleep tonight and look for her in the morning." Kagome lay down her sleeping bag near the fire, (She had taken to unzipping it and laying it flat on the ground so her and Inuyasha both could lay on it), and lay down.

"And you're okay with that?" asked Sango, watching as the two went through their nightly routine, which she found adorable.

"Well, I figure she's going to do it with or without me, so I might as well tag along so she doesn't get herself killed," Inuyasha said as he pulled off his Robe of the Fire Rat and handed it to Kagome to use as a blanket. He laid down on the sleeping bag next to her and propped himself up on one arm so he could still talk to Sango, while his other arm rested at Kagome's waist.

"You have a point, Inuyasha, Kagome can be very stubborn sometimes," Said Miroku, walking over to where his wife sat, waiting for him.

"Keh, I'll say," was Inuyasha's reply. At that Kagome sat up and glared at him.

"You people do realize I'm still awake don't you?" She glared at the monk, who raised his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"No offence meant, of course, Kagome," Miroku said.

"Mmhm," was her only reply. She lay back down and closed her eyes again, although this time everyone was careful not to insult her. Shippo climbed up to lay next to her, but Inuyasha picked him up by the tail and said,

"Who invited you, runt?" Sango and Miroku giggled, it had been the same every night that they were on the road, at least. Kagome and Inuyasha would lay down to sleep, and Shippo would climb up next to Kagome, and Inuyasha say the same thing, to which Shippo would reply,

"Inuyasha, who said you get to have Kagome all to yourself? You're not the only one who missed her you know!" Inuyasha growled, and reared back like he was going to throw him, but Kagome interrupted.

"Inuyasha, let him stay, he's just a kid you know." Inuyasha growled, but set the kitsune back down before laying down himself. Miroku and Sango followed suit, laying down together and eventually falling asleep.

Kanna put her mirror down, it was clear they weren't going to do anymore talking for the night. She out at the starry sky, wondering if the group would help her. Kagome seemed eager to help, but she wasn't so sure about the others. From her perch on a tree branch, she could see all the way to the village that the group called home, the place where Naraku was defeated. Kanna pressed a hand to her chest, just to feel her heart beat again, to assure herself that it was real, Naraku was dead, and she was alive. She had the freedom that Kagura had always dreamed about.

Not for the first time she wondered if Kagura was alive somewhere. If she was enjoying her newfound freedom, and if she was looking for her, like Kanna was searching for Kagura. She hadn't been able to locate Kagura using her mirror yet, but did that mean she was still dead, or just on the move. A gentle breeze floated through the trees, stirring her hair around her face.

_I am the wind, I am free. _

The night passed uneventfully, although their morning was quite exciting. In the early morning hours Shippo rolled onto Inuyasha's face, and his tail obstructed Inuyasha's nose and mouth so he couldn't breathe. Inuyasha woke up gasping for breath with a mouthful of fox tail. The whole group awoke to Inuyasha shouting, "Get the hell off of me you stupid runt," and then the sound of Inuyasha's fist making contact with Shippo's head. One fit of crying, a "sit", and a first aid treatment for Shippo later, they were all wide awake and ready to go looking for Kanna.

"We should probably go back to the village first," began Miroku, "because it's not very likely that she stayed in this area after Inuyasha threatened her, so we should return home and decide where to look first." Kagome nodded her agreement, and with that it was decided. They hit the road after that, and they made it back home before midday. Miroku and Sango went back to their hut, saying they'd be back before dinner, no doubt wanting to be alone after spending several days on the road. Shippo disappeared shortly after they arrived, probably going to play with the village children, and Kaede was attending to an illness in the village, which left Inuyasha and Kagome all alone.

Kagome had been staying with Kaede since she returned six months ago, so she didn't have a hut of her own, and neither did Inuyasha. Once Kagome asked Kaede if Inuyasha had been staying with her for the three years she had been away, and the response she had gotten was, "Nay child, Inuyasha never slept here once in the time ye were away, he slept in the branches of the Sacred Tree." And now of course, he slept with her every night. Kagome wondered if he had slept in the tree to feel closer to her. _Probably,_ she thought. When they walked in they found a pot full of stew on the fire waiting for them. Apparently Kaede had been expecting them home, and prepared this for them.

"Inuyasha, remind me to tell Kaede she's the best," Kagome said, sitting down and helping herself to the contents of the pot.

"Definitely," Inuyasha agreed before digging in himself. There was silence for a time while they ate, but eventually Inuyasha broke the silence. "I've been thinking," he began, but was cut off.

"Uh-oh" said an old woman's voice as she entered the hut.

"Kaede, thank you for the meal!" Kagome said, while Inuyasha only twitched in frustration.

"Ye are welcome child, I suspected you might return home while I was tending to the sick, so I prepared this meal for ye," she replied.

"What do you mean, 'Uh-oh' are you calling me stupid old woman?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Calm down Inuyasha, I was only teasing ye," Kaede said. Inuyasha scoffed and started eating again.

"Anyway, what were you going to say Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing, obviously I'm too stupid to think so why should I bother opening my mouth," he said, though his cheeks were faintly pink. Kagome just shrugged and kept eating her stew.

"Did ye have a successful mission?" Kaede asked, sitting down across from them, and serving herself some stew.

"Oh, yes! I had lots of fun, and you'll never guess who we met!" Kagome said, then preceded to tell Kaede the whole story.

"I see, this is very troubling indeed, how can Kanna be alive, when we know for certain that she died?" Kaede asked, looking into the faces of her house guests. "And if Kanna is alive, could it be that Naraku has been resurrected as well?" Kagome shook her head.

"We asked her the same thing, about the other incarnations as well, she didn't know about the other incarnations, but she seemed certain that Naraku was still dead," Kagome told her.

"Are ye certain that we can trust this girl?" Kagome nodded, while Inuyasha scoffed. Kagome shot him a death glare before she replied.

"I'm positive that I can trust her, she was definitely sincere. I think she's lonely, her sister is dead, she needs someone to be there for her, I can't just ignore that." Kaede nodded, she knew that if Kagome thought someone needed her help then there was no stopping her. Kagome was to good at heart to ever ignore someone in need, it would go against her very soul. Kaede also noticed that Inuyasha was pointedly not looking at either of them, which she found to be curious.

"Inuyasha, why do ye out so?" Asked Kaede. Inuyasha growled before answering her.

"I'm not so easily convinced as Kagome, I think she might be lying" He said shortly, not looking at Kagome when he said it.

"What reason could she have for lying though?" Kagome asked heatedly.

"Ain't that obvious? To protect her Master, that's why!" Inuyasha cried, responding to Kagome's ire.

"Naraku is dead! I know that much for myself, I would know if he were still alive, or do you think I'm too stupid to be able to tell?" Kagome snapped back at him. Inuyasha paused before responding, sensing a trap.

Frankly, he couldn't understand how she could be so sure that Naraku was dead, _I mean how could she possibly know if he were still alive? _But Inuyasha didn't know how to put this to avoid putting his own life in danger, so he kept quiet. Bad move. Kagome, taking his silence as a confirmation of this point, exploded.

"Oh, that's it isn't it? You don't think I'm a good enough judge of character to know when people are lying? Or is it that you don't think I'm capable enough to tell if an evil that powerful was back in this world?" She yelled, rising to her feet as to loom over him. Inuyasha cowered in the face of her anger, completely unaware of how to calm her down. Finally, he responded in the only way he knew how, anger. At this point Sango and Miroku walked in, having had some alone time. They sat down and watched the arguing couple quietly with a mixture of bemusement and frustration.

"Well how in the hell, could you possibly know that for sure? He could be concealing his aura, like he always did!" Inuyasha shouted, rising to his feet as well, so he now loomed over her, but Kagome didn't even flinch. "Miroku, Sango, tell her she is crazy!"

"Why don't you listen to what Kagome has to say?" Miroku said reasonably, but he was drowned out by Kagome's response.

"Don't you remember what Naraku's final wish was on the Sacred Jewel? He wished that he and I would become the next ones to fight it out in the Sacred Jewel for all eternity! At that moment in time, our souls became entwined, we became linked in a way that even I don't fully understand. I would feel it if he were alive, a connection like that cannot just be severed!" She shouted, and Inuyasha took a step back in shock.

_Kagome, linked with Naraku? How can that be possible? _Inuyasha thought. He looked down at Kagome horrified. Kagome sighed heavily and collapsed in front of the fire, looking morosely into it's depths. Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but Kagome cut him off.

"I was hoping I would never have to tell you this Inuyasha," Kagome said somberly, still looking into the fire. Inuyasha sat down facing her, her suddenly somber attitude worrying him.

"What do you mean, connected?" He asked soberly. Kagome sighed again.

"I'm not entirely sure, all I can do is theorize, but when that meido appeared behind me, I felt his soul reach out and link to mine," she said, still addressing the fire. "At first I wasn't so sure what happened, it felt like a terrible evil had settled in my soul, and yet it was so familiar. It took me awhile to figure it out, I couldn't place where I had experienced that terrible sensation before, but then I remembered. I felt exactly the same way I did when Kagura captured me that time and the infant took hold of my soul." Inuyasha shifted guiltily in his spot. He still felt bad about that.

"I didn't understand it, until the Sacred Jewel told me about Naraku's wish. We were meant to be the next Midoriko and Magatsuhi, battling forever in the Shikon No Tama. Our fates were intertwined, our souls connected. We were irrevocably linked, but then I wished away the Sacred Jewel, finishing off Naraku. He was gone, but I could still feel his darkness in my soul, I still can.

"I know that if Naraku were alive once again I would feel it. We are still linked, even after his death. I should probably tell you that I wasn't surprised to see Kanna that night, either. I felt a change in the link to Naraku a few days ago. Not a change big enough to make me think Naraku was living again, but just to know that something had changed. It was so slight I convinced myself it was nothing, that I was just being paranoid, but then Kanna showed up, and I knew I had been right before.

"That's also why I trust Kanna. As an extension of Naraku, she is an extension of his soul. I would know if she were lying to me, because I could very faintly _feel_ her emotions, and I didn't feel any deception coming from her. She just felt, lonely and sad. She felt lost in the world, because she had nothing, and no one. But there also was an ever so slight amount of hope there, too. She hoped I would take her in as I offered to before," Kagome looked at Inuyasha, trying to convey how badly she wanted to save Kanna from herself, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking, the expression on his face was unreadable. She sighed again. Sango and Miroku looked silently, still electing to let these two work out their problems first, they had questions, but they could wait until later.

"I think that the closer we are to one another the stronger our connection, since it wasn't us individually that were linked the connection isn't as strong. I think I can only decipher her emotions when we are close to one another, because I've been trying to pick up on her feelings ever since you scared her with your Tessaiga, but I've had no luck," Kagome continued to stare at the fire, afraid of what she might see in Inuyasha's eyes.

"Kagome," he said quietly, and Kagome braced herself for the worse. Inuyasha reached out and gently laid a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before? Don't you know you can come to me with anything?"

"Yes, of course I do, but I guess I was afraid. I was so happy to see you again after all those years, and I didn't want you to hate me because I was linked to someone who caused you so much pain," She looked at Sango and Miroku, "and I was afraid that you guys would accidently let something slip to him, I'm so sorry, I should have told you all," Kagome said, looking at her best friend to gauge her reaction.

"Hey, wait a minute," Inuyasha said indignantly, "Why am I the only one who you thought would hate you?"

"Well," began Kagome, "You're tempers much worse."

"It is not!" He shouted. Kagome merely raised her eyebrows at him until he leaned back and scoffed. "Whatever."

"Besides, if I hadn't broken the Sacred Jewel then Naraku wouldn't have killed Sango's village, and if she didn't hate me for that, I was pretty sure she could forgive me for just about anything," Kagome said to Inuyasha.

"Don't be silly Kagome, that wasn't your fault at all!" Sango exclaimed, horrified to hear Kagome blame such an atrocity on herself.

"See what I mean, Inuyasha?" Kagome said, pointing at Sango, "She's much more understanding and mild mannered than you!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cried Inuyasha.

"I believe she just called you a hot-head," offered Miroku, and Kagome nodded.

"Why don't you come over here and say that, Monk?" Inuyasha said.

"Calm down Inuyasha," Miroku said, "I meant no offence!"

"Yah right, ya' coward, you're just too scared to come over here and fight me!" Inuyasha said, pushing his sleeve up his arm like he was planning on taking the fight to Miroku.

"Inuyasha sit," Kagome said, and Inuyasha was dragged to the ground with a pained yelp. Miroku and Sango giggled. No matter how old their friends got, they doubted that they would ever change in this respect.

"Would you stop doing that?" Inuyasha growled as he pried himself of the floor. He settled down in a corner against the wall, away from the rest of them.

"Are ye finished, Inuyasha, we have more important matters to attend to that your hurt feelings?" Kaede said. Inuyasha scoffed and muttered something that sounded like, "traitorous woman, she's supposed to be on my side." Kagome decided to let that slide, after all Kaede was right, they had more important matters to attend to.

"So, Kagome, would you mind if I asked you some questions about what you just told us, I'm not sure I understood all of it," Miroku asked. Kagome nodded her consent. "When you said that you would feel it if Naraku were alive, what did you mean?"

"Well, when we first linked he was alive right? So I could feel his moods and his evil. It felt like it was eating away at me from the inside, his darkness was trying to consume my light, and I've always wondered if it were the same for him, if he could feel my light shining through his dark soul. It would have been like a battle on two front, had Inuyasha not come to rescue me. We would have been dueling in our souls as well as with our bodies," Kagome said, then paused, trying to figure out the best way to phrase the next part. "But after he died the darkness sort of, shrunk, and grew dormant. It was still there, but it stopped trying to consume me, it's not alive any more. It's almost like a lingering memory, or maybe a scar. It doesn't really bother me, except for the occasional twinge."

"I see, and you said the feeling changed a few days ago, when Kanna said she came back, could you please describe it?" Miroku asked, and Kagome had to think for a while on that one.

How had it changed? It was like a regular twinge, but also not, and it happened more often as well.

"I'm not sure exactly. It was sort of like a regular twinge, except not. I didn't know what to make of it. It happened more often than usual, like normally it only happens once a week, but this time it happened every day. But it also felt different, I don't know if I can explain it, it just sort of felt lighter?" Kagome said, looking for the perfect word to describe how it felt, but she couldn't find one. Lighter was probably as close as she could get.

"So we know that Naraku is not alive, which is good," Miroku said, "and we know that Kanna is alive, and most likely the girl herself means us no harm."

"What do you mean Miroku?" Sango asked, confused by her husband's choice of words.

"Well we still don't know how Kanna was resurrected. It could be that someone has resurrected her, and now she is under their control," Miroku explained.

"I don't think so, Miroku, Kanna was earnest during our conversation, she didn't lie to us even once," Kagome argued.

"That could be the case, but what if Kanna doesn't know that she's being controlled? Remember when Naraku tried to make Kohaku kill you Kagome? He wiped all of Kohaku's memories of being controlled. Kohaku had no idea until it was too late, this might be a similar situation," he reasoned. Kagome nodded, thinking. Would she really be able to sense it if Kanna were being controlled, without her even knowing about it? Probably not, because their connection was so faint anyways.

"I see what you mean, I suppose it's possible, but why would whoever is controlling Kanna bring _her _back instead of Naraku?" Kagome wondered.

"It's possible that this person wanted to play on your kind heart, Kagome," Sango began, "This person likely somehow knew that you had offered to take her in before, and hoped that you would offer again. If someone is controlling Kanna, they are likely after your life." At this Inuyasha growled loudly, surprising everyone, they had forgotten he was there, because he was quiet for so long.

"But why now? I've been home for over six months now," she said turning back to the group. Inuyasha suppress a small smile when Kagome referred to the Feudal era as "Home." "And besides, we don't even have any proof that Kanna is being controlled!"

"Maybe not, Kagome, but you have to admit that this is highly suspicious, I suggest we proceed with caution," Miroku said.

"Agreed," said Sango.

"Aye," Kaede said. Kagome nodded and Inuyasha grunted.

"So they've caught on, have they?" A woman's voice cut easily through the silence. In the pitch blackness there was but one beacon of light, the glowing of a mirror that pictured our young heroes deep in discussion. "That monk is a clever one, he'll have to be dealt with, but all in due time. It'll be fun watching them try to scramble around, trying to find out who is pulling the strings behind Kanna's miraculous revival," she laughed a high cold laugh, that sent chills down the spine of her one-woman audience. "It's almost time Kagura, prepare for your mission," said the woman, as the light from the mirror faded to black.

"Yes, Master." Was her only reply.

***A/N- Okay, wow! What a long chappie! I'm sorry these past two chapters were so fluffy, I promise I'll get to the good stuff soon, but as I've said before, I can only go where the story takes me, and forcing it to go faster than it wants to will make it bad. So bear with me through the slow parts, because slow parts are necessary to set up the platform for the "fast-parts". I hate fluff as much as the next guy, (although I'm a girl), but sometimes it's necessary. While we're on the topic of fluff and the like, I don't write lemons, so sorry if that offends you, and YAY, if it makes you happy, and if you don't care one way or the other, ._. lol, Until next chapter, **

** bluedragon03**


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